Red Raiders wait for majors to call

Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008

GEORGE WATSONgeorge watson

Texas Tech coaches have been caught off guard by players who they thought would return for their senior seasons deciding instead to turn pro after being taken in the later rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft.

Junior right fielder Roger Kieschnick and junior right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart are projected to go within the first three rounds of the draft, which begins at 1 p.m. today and continues through Friday. Behind those two is junior left-handed pitcher James Leverton, who made the conversion from position player to pitcher this season and could go within the first 10 rounds.

Kieschnick is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 44 prospect in the country and the top position-player prospect in Texas. Stewart is listed as the overall No. 46 prospect and No. 4 in the state, while Leverton is ranked as the 35th-best prospect in Texas.

"I'd have a hard time (seeing the players return to school) since they're all healthy and did the deal this year," head coach designate Dan Spencer said. "I would really have a hard time with (Kieschnick and Stewart). I don't see how Zach and Kiesch could slip far enough to a place where they would consider it. But stranger things have happened. They're both getting a lot of hype.

"And we've already spent those two guys' (scholarship) money for next year."

Most draft projections have Kieschnick and Stewart going anywhere from late in the first round to late in the second around. If either or both are chosen in the first round, they would join outfielder Donald Harris as the only Red Raiders selected in the first round. Harris was taken by the Texas Rangers in 1989 and played in the major leagues from 1991-93.

Kieschnick would leave after three years as one of the most prolific offensive players in Tech history. A career .322 hitter, he ranks in the top five in school history in career at-bats (689), hits (222), doubles (54), home runs (39) and RBIs (156) and ranks sixth in games played, starting in all 168 contests in which he appeared.

Stewart had just one year with the Red Raiders, but made a lasting impression as well. He began the year as the Red Raiders' closer, picking up three of the team's six saves. But when starter AJ Ramos went down late in the season to an elbow injury, Stewart moved into the Friday starting role.

Stewart, who transferred to Tech from North Central Texas College, finished the year with a 3-2 record - the only Tech pitcher with more than two starts to record a winning record - and a 4.98 ERA.

But perhaps no pitcher was more valuable, or made as big a leap, as Leverton, who spent his first two years as the starter at first base before becoming a pitcher. Under Spencer's guidance, Leverton became an effective late-game reliever, compiling a 2-3 record and a team-best 3.86 ERA.

"I always knew the talent was there," Leverton said. "I just thank Spence for the mental part. It's nice to go from not being drafted to pitching and being successful. It feels pretty good. They say everything happens for a reason and maybe it happened to me to not pitch the first two years so I would be fresh."

None of the three completely ruled out a return to Tech, but all agreed it would take some pretty unusual circumstances for that to happen.